Global Chicago

Once known for gangsters and meatpacking, Chicago was virtually synonymous with the rough and tumble side of the industrial era. Today, however, Chicago has outgrown even national prominence to become a truly global city - one of the most famous and most important in the world. "Global Chicago" is the first book to describe Chicago's transformation from industrial powerhouse to global metropolis. It will change the way both Chicagoans and the rest of the world view the city. Chicago has a long history of adaptation. Having gone from a swampy trading post to a major industrial center, Chicago also rebuilt itself in the wake of a devastating fire to become one of the world's great architectural showcases. While many former industrial centers became mere shadows of themselves, Chicago succeeded by transformed itself again. The Chicago of today is a hub for corporate headquarters like those of Motorola, Boeing, and United Airlines. It is a transportation and information crossroads, with the busiest airport in North America as well as the most Internet traffic.